In my patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,030, a hand manipulated electrically heated stylus tool is disclosed for transferring insignia to an article from a ribbon or sheet having a coating on one face thereof subject to release and transfer to the article to be printed. An important feature in the patent resides in an aluminum anodized mandrel around which an insulated heating coil is wound in abutting coils. The anodize coating serves several purposes. First, it serves as a back-up electrical insulator beneath the heater coil and in the event of breakdown of the insulation on some of the convolutions they are prevented from short circuiting through the aluminum mandrel which could otherwise cause some of the convolutions to burn out as a result of reduction in resistance between ends of the heater coil. Secondly, in the event the back-up anodizing beneath the convolutions should fail, the exposed tip of the mandrel will retain its insulation property and prevent the operator from receiving a shock in the event the exposed tip is contacted and the operator is otherwise in the circuit, such as by grounding of the operator. Lastly, the anodizing forms a hard wear resistant terminal end or stylus where it is moved over the ribbon which is coated with the transfer medium. While this construction meets certain safety codes and operates in an entirely satisfactory manner it was recognized that it could be further improved upon if the terminal end of the stylus could roll on the transfer medium rather than slide along same. It was also recognized that the tip end and ball of a ball point pen would provide the rolling contact desired but this presented certain difficulties in that the ball is steel and the tube to which it is affixed is brass, neither of which can be anodized to provide electrical insulation on the exposed stylus where a shocking voltage might be received by the operator.